Mends of Old, Ties of New
by CassiKitty
Summary: After an argument with his father, Legolas flees to Rivendell, in hope to find refuge with Lord Elrond. What he finds is more than he could wish for. When father and son reunite, can wounds be healed? Does Legolas even want to come home anymore?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Would like to own, but don't.**

**Author's Note: This is my first story, so be kind, please. And I'm not saying Thranduil is a bad father: just that he's over-worked and unsure of how to relate to Legolas. All elfish translations are in parenthesis next to the word. And, as this is my first fic, please, please, please review!**

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

Legolas Greenleaf, son of King Thranduil, leapt down from the tree as the dusk sun sank lower in the sky. Under his breath, he sighed as he turned to face the cavern that hid his father's halls. The halls were marvelous and well-built, even beautiful, but Legolas very much preferred sleeping under the stars and the trees. He sighed and glanced back toward the forest longingly. Turning away from his father's hidden palace, the young elf shrugged slightly.

Thranduil had little time for his son now-days and surely the Elvenking wouldn't notice if he was gone for a single night. Legolas hadn't seen his father any more than passing him in the halls for nearly two days, and the elf longed for the comfort of the trees and to sleep under the stars.

Clambering back up the tree, Legolas settled down on a firm, study branch. He rested his head against the strong trunk and in moments his eyes glazed over and he fell into sleep.

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><p>The morning sun shone through the leaves of the trees, waking the young prince. Yawning, he slipped from his perch to land neatly on the forest floor. He then strolled comfortably toward the hidden entrance to his father's palace, feeling safe and secure for the first time since his mother's death. His father had been so distant from Legolas since then.<p>

Passing through the doors easily, Legolas made his way to the dining hall. His father sat at the head of the table, already half-way finished with his meal and pouring over paperwork as he ate. There were a few lords of the court in the hall, speaking to each other or eating, but Legolas had long since stopped taking much notice of them. Thranduil glanced up and noticed his son, looking at him for a long moment before speaking.

"Where were you last night?" Thranduil remarked mildly, though his tone hid deeper meaning, "You weren't at dinner, or in your room."

"I-I fell asleep in a tree." Legolas admitted quietly.

Thranduil did not look pleased, but instead answered in a barely-controlled tone, "I wish to see you in my study after breakfast."

Legolas swallowed hard. Whenever his father wanted to talk to him in the study, their discussion inevitably ended in an argument. And if there was one thing Legolas hated, it was when he and his father argued.

But the young prince simply nodded and muttered, with an almost sad tone to his voice, "Yes sir."

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><p>Thranduil didn't turn to face Legolas as he slipped in the door, taking care to close it after him. Instead, the Elvenking continued to look at the many books that lined the wall behind his desk for a few moments longer.<p>

"Adar (father), you wished to speak with me." Legolas's voice was quiet and full of uncertainty.

Thranduil still did not turn around to look at his son, but he spoke, "There was a dinner last night that you were supposed to attend."

Legolas winced, realizing this was not going to be a pleasant conversation in the least.

The Elvenking whirled toward him, "And you weren't there."

"Adar (Father), I-"Legolas started, trying to explain.

"I'm not done!" The king snapped, anger coming into his tone, "We began to worry and spent half the night looking for you! Good thing you showed up before we sent out search parties or nothing would be done today!"

Legolas bowed his head, "I am sorry, Father."

"Sorry doesn't fix it, does it? It was wrong of you to do such a thing, especially without consulting an adult."

Legolas frowned, meeting his father's gaze, "Any other day you wouldn't have noticed. I never see you anymore; how was I to know about this dinner?"

"You, as the prince, should know better than this! Of all people, Legolas, _you_ ought to know not to go into the woods alone!"

The younger elf flinched back as the memories of his mother's death flooded before his eyes. He fought back the tears, staring up at his father.

"I-I…" He couldn't quite put words together to form any coherent though for a moment, too great was the grief. Then, he managed, "I understand, sir."

Legolas turned away and started for the door. Thranduil, having seen the flash of pain in his son's eyes, reached out to him and tried to catch his arm. However, Legolas moved his arm and Thranduil grasped for it at just the wrong time, resulting in a small scrape from Thranduil's nails on Legolas's skin.

The younger jerked, staring, wide-eyed at his father for a moment before dashing from the room. Thranduil sighed, resolving to go talk to the boy later. The Elvenking then sat down and buried himself in his seemingly never-ending work.

Little did the King of Mirkwood know what was flashing through his only son's mind at that moment. Legolas, not understanding exactly what happened since he didn't actually see it happen, had come to the conclusion that his father had harmed him on purpose. This thought mixing with some of his father's lecture, and Legolas came to the theory he was only a burden to his father. Tears were running down the young elf's cheeks as he fled to the relative safety of his room and closed the door behind him.

"Maybe Ada (Daddy) _would_ be better off without me." Legolas whimpered aloud to no one in particular.

Sniffling, the prince got out one of his traveling bags. He packed a change of clothes, a map, a bit of lembas bread he'd found the day before but had yet to eat, and a pouch of water. He slid his twin long knives, which had been a gift from his parents, into their sheathes on his belt. He then took his newest bow, which had been a gift from a kind, golden-haired elf that had visited not long after his mother's death. Taking one final thing in his hands: a small portrait of his family, before his mother's death, he gently tucked it into the bag and slung it over his shoulder.

The young elf stepped onto his balcony, taking care to close the door, and then dropped from the balcony to the ground. He hurried toward the stables, hoping to leave before his father realized what he was planning.

Silverwish, a young but strong stallion, offered a greeting whinny on sight of his beloved rider. Legolas managed a smile for Silverwish, reaching up and stroking the white mane before letting his fingers slid down his silver-white neck. In response the horse nuzzled Legolas fondly.

"I need a ride, mellon nin (my friend)." Legolas murmured to the stallion.

Silverwish tossed his head and met the prince's eyes as if to ask where they were going. The horse's unspoken question stumped Legolas for a moment. He hadn't actually thought of where he was going to flee to. After a moment of consideration, Legolas decided his best bet would be to go to Rivendell and seek out the Lord Elrond's refuge. Lord Elrond of the Noldor elves was known for his kindness and hospitality, surely he would help Legolas.

"Imladris," Legolas whispered to Silverwish, using the elfish name for the land.

The stallion's eyes lit and he pawed anxiously at the ground, showing his enthusiasm for such a journey. Legolas grinned, swiftly saddling the horse, and swinging up. Holding to the horse's mane, as Silverwish rejected bridles of any kind, Legolas urged the stallion forward.

Silverwish needed little encouragement to start cantering forward toward the gate that led away from Thranduil's halls. Straightening on Silverwish's back as though he were on a mission, the guards didn't question their prince, simply letting him through. Once free of the door, Legolas encouraged his stallion to speed up. And thus, Legolas, son of Thranduil, left the halls of his father, and he didn't look back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own any characters or places.**

**Author's Note: Special thanks to my awesome reviewers: thank you, thank you, thank you! I'll be trying to update every week on Friday. I figure I can juggle that between my school work, sleeping, eating, and any trips I take. **

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Legolas leaned against a tree in a small clearing, looking down at the map he'd brought. Silverwish tossed his head, trotting over beside Legolas.

The prince muttered aloud, "We should continue southeast, past the northern stretch of the Anduin, and take the High Pass over the Misty Mountains. We then head a little bit south and then east until we hit the Loudmouth River, and if that isn't in the valley, we simply go north until we find the valley that harbors Rivendell."

Silverwish whinnied as though agreeing with him. Legolas smiled, fondly stroking the stallion's mane. The young prince then stood, retrieving his bag and throwing it over his shoulder.

"We should get moving." Legolas whispered, looking around, "Just in case,"

Silverwish tossed his head in agreement, eager to be off. Legolas mounted, but, before urging Silverwish onward, he closed his eyes, savoring the sound and smells of the forest. Biding goodbye to the trees, he leaned forward and motioned to Silverwish to go on. The stallion hesitated for only a second, realizing this may be the last time he saw the trees of Mirkwood. Then, determined to bare his rider where ever the youth wanted to go, Silverwish bolted away, toward the Old Ford, a crossing of the Anduin river.

Legolas rode well, attentive and quick to guide Silverwish away from any possible danger. By the time the sun was at its peak in the sky, the two companions were thundering along the Old Forest Road toward the Anduin, hoping to cross the river the following day.

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><p>Thranduil hurried through the hallways. He had meant to go to his son the previous night, but had gotten caught up in a mass of paperwork, and postponed going to him until morning. But then, one of his councilors had needed to speak with him on an urgent matter. Sighing, Thranduil stopped at Legolas's door, taking a deep breath.<p>

"Legolas?" He called softly, knocking on the door, but there was no answer, so Thranduil opened the door a crack and called again, "Ion nin (My son)?"

When no answer came, Thranduil opened the door fully to find an empty room. The bed wasn't slept in, and it seemed as though no one had been here for at least twelve hours. Frantic now, Thranduil hastily checked around the room, praying to find his son huddled in a corner or under the bed. Instead, he found that Legolas's best bow, his twin long knives, his traveling cloak, and his bag were missing.

Thranduil sank down on the bed, eyes full of disbelief. Legolas was gone, and Thranduil had no idea how long he had been gone, where he was headed, or if he was in a dangerous state of mind when he left. Covering his eyes with his hands, the Elvenking wept.

It was there that one of his oldest friends and most trusted advisors, Faeron, found him nearly forty minutes later. Faeron didn't know what had happened, but he closed the door and sat down next to the king and put an arm around him.

"M'lord, what troubles you?" Faeron asked gently.

Thranduil looked up, "M-My son… he's gone!"

Faeron sighed quietly, he should've known. The advisor had heard Thranduil and Legolas's argument, not clearly, but he knew they were both angry. Legolas had been stressed lately over the tensions between himself and his father, and this argument had probably snapped the young elf's temper. Knowing Legolas, he had snuck out last night and slept with the trees again, to feel safe.

"I'll ask the guards if he's left." Faeron promised, "and if so, when and with what."

Thranduil nodded, "Thank you,"

Faeron laid a hand on the king's back before slipping out of the room and calling a messenger to him and telling him what to ask the guards at the gate. The elf nodded and ran off swiftly. Satisfied, Faeron went back to the king.

His friend had closed his eyes, breathing hard. Faeron again dropped beside him, reassuringly placing an arm around the king.

"He'll be all right, M'lord." Faeron promised gently.

Thranduil quivered, frightened. Faeron had known the Elvenking through many dangers, and if there was one thing the King of Mirkwood was not, it was cowardly. But Faeron understood his friend's fears. Mirkwood was riddled with spiders and Orcs these days, most of which could kill a lone traveler. But deep down, Faeron doubted any of them would be about to catch, let alone kill, the swift, smart, and strong prince. Legolas wasn't an elfling any longer, despite what Thranduil might like to believe at the moment, he was quickly becoming one of Mirkwood's best warriors. But that wouldn't comfort the king much, so Faeron kept his thoughts to himself.

One of the gate's guards hurried in, "I heard you wanted the Prince's location."

Faeron stood, "Do you know where he is?"

The man shook his head, "Nay, I'm sorry. But I _do_ know he left yesterday morning on Silverwish, carrying a bag with provisions, of what amount I know not, his bow, a quiver of arrows, and his long knives. He looked quite determined to do something; we thought he was on orders."

Faeron looked down, nodding slowly, "It's not your fault. Prince Legolas has been known to fake out even the best of us. He's clever in that way, especially when he wants to be. You have no idea where he was headed?"

The guard shook his head, "All I know is he set off north, but knowing the Prince, he is probably headed any direction other than North."

Faeron nodded, "It's a strong possibility. How big was his bag? Could you tell how long he packed for?"

The guard thought, "Well, I figure he'd have had lembas, and mattering on how much he ate before, that could last anywhere from a day or two to several weeks. I saw the bulge of a water pouch for sure, but should he stay near the Forest River, the Enchanted River, or make for the Anduin, he would have access to plenty of water. I'm pretty sure he had a change of clothes. Ah, and there was a kind of lump folded up paper makes sometimes."

Thranduil went pale, dashing into his son's closet and throwing open a small cabinet, scrambling for something, "The map," He whispered softly, "The map of Middle Earth you gave him last year, Faeron, its gone too."

The guard nodded slowly, "A map would be about the right size."

Thranduil sank back onto the bed, shaking slightly. Faeron nodded, and spoke softly to the elf, "Thank you for your help. Tell me if you see him."

"I will." The guard promised, before turning and hurrying away.

"Don't worry, mellon nin (my friend)," Faeron whispered, "We'll find him. He can't have gone far."

Thranduil sighed sadly, "But he could've gone in any which direction."

"Think, M'lord. What tales of distant lands does he know best?"

"H-He enjoyed stories of the Last Allience." The Elvenking whispered.

Even Faeron paled, "I don't think he would go to Mordor."

Nodding, Thranduil continued, "There was one about Gondor, one or two about Rohan, and several about Lothlorien he particularly liked."

"There were none about the land of Imladris and Lord Elrond?"

Thranduil shook his head, "Nay, I told him but one of Lord Elrond, and he never asked to hear it again."

Faeron nodded slowly, "I think Lothlorien and the woods between would be a good starting point. March Warden Haldir has come and visited Legolas several times."

Thranduil looked up, "Yes, it's worth a try.

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><p>Legolas cupped a bit of the running water with his hands, raising it to take a drink. Silverwish was a little ways off, drinking the water quickly. Legolas looked into the horizon, seeing the peaks of the Misty Mountains before him. He sighed, smiling grimly at the thought of passing over those peaks. But then, others had done it.<p>

"We'll stay here for the night." Legolas muttered aloud, "Then go on to the High Pass tomorrow, hopefully we'll get halfway up. Then, we have the next day to go the rest of the way through the pass. And on the day after, should our luck hold, we'll reach Imladris."

Silverwish trotted over, snorting his consent as he too glanced at the peaks rising before them. Legolas looked at the mountains longingly, he was ready to leave Mirkwood, which he would tomorrow morning, the moment he rode over the stone bridge and raced toward the mountains. He found himself wondering if his father even knew he was gone yet.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he lay down, glancing upwards at the shining stars that lit up the night sky above. He smiled and began uttering the names of the constellations, smiling slightly.

Resting his head in his hands, he began to hum a song his mother had sung to him on more than one occasion, usually when he was scared, or upset, or feeling alone. In truth, he was a little of all three at that moment. He had no real idea what he was doing, but he didn't want to go home to his father. And yet he felt very alone.

The wind whistled through the grasslands, and Legolas smiled sleepily. He had Silverwish, and this loneliness would hopefully only last until he arrived in Rivendell. His mother had always told him of Lord Elrond's kindness and compassion; that, should true trouble ever arise, she and Legolas would be welcome in Elrond's House. She had told him the Lord had told her that himself, and promised to be there, for whatever reason. Legolas stared up at the stars, rethinking his mother's tales, and his eyes glazed over in elfish sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Never did; probably never will. :(**

**Author's Note: Okay, I admit, it's short. I know; I'm sorry. I had a pretty weird week that involved going to the beach (without my computer). I have a ton of other excuses that you probably don't care about and half of you probably aren't reading this anyway, so I'm going to stop rambling right… now.**

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Thranduil sat on his throne. His advisors were arguing about something, but what exactly was lost to him. All he could think about was his son, who was out there, somewhere, alone, and how it was his fault. If He hadn't lost his temper with Legolas, the elf would still be safe in Mirkwood.

A few of the elves were standing, shouting angrily at each other. Faeron glanced the king's way, noticing how lost in thought the king was. Gritting his teeth, he stood.

"Can we not have order?" Faeron thundered, annoyance flowing off of him like a river.

The other advisors looked at him, wide-eyed, for never did Faeron lose his calm disposition. But the elf before them was positively fuming. He frowned deeply at their stares.

"We'll discuss this again later, when we're all less hungry, tired and generally in a bad mood." With that, the king's oldest friend turned curtly away and walked to the distraught king's side, waving the rest away.

The advisors hurriedly obeyed, not wanting to see Faeron get any angrier. As soon as they were gone, Faeron crouched beside Thranduil.

"M'lord?" He asked gently, touching the king's hand, "Are you feeling all right?"

Thranduil looked up, pain in his eyes, "No, I'm not."

"Mellon nin," Faeron sighed, "You aren't helping Legolas or the search parties by neglecting your duties. We'll find him, sooner or later."

The Elvenking looked up, "But if I have lost him, Faeron, I cannot go on. I have already lost my father and my wife, if I lose my son, I will fade."

"Do not speak that way! The people of Mirkwood need you!"

"They will not be leaderless, I would appoint one to succeed me after news of my son's death was brought, and I would pass over the-"

"Thranduil!" Faeron yelled, starting the king by using his first name for the first time in many years, "You're people do not need just any elf as a leader! They need you!"

Thranduil sat back, "Long has it been since anyone was so blunt with me."

Faeron looked down and stepped back from the throne, "Forgive me, M'lord. I overstepped my bounds."

"No, there is nothing to forgive, mellon nin (my friend)." Thranduil forced a smile, "I needed that, and I need you to keep me in my right mind. You know me better than anyone else alive, Faeron, do not abandon me when I need you most."

Eyes softening, Faeron hurried back to his friend's side, "Never, M'lord."

"Thranduil," The king corrected softly, "Just Thranduil."

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><p>Legolas loved the feel of the wind flowing past him. He felt so free now, beyond his father's borders. Silverwish's hooves pounded away; baring for the mountain peaks before him.<p>

"Keep at this pace," Legolas whispered to Silverwish, "And we'll be at the top of the mountain by midnight. Can you go that long without rest?"

As if in response, Silverwish pressed on swifter. Legolas braced himself and let his control over the horse cease, and Silverwish dashed over the country, aiming for the High Pass. Legolas felt his freedom stretch out before him and found himself leaning forward, mind set on going to Rivendell.

But even Silverwish tired. By dusk, they were nearly at the top, but the stallion's pace had slowed drastically. Something told Legolas they shouldn't stop, though, a menacing whisper in the back of his head.

"I don't like it here." Legolas uttered, dismounting Silverwish and taking the lead. The pass was thick with fog.

Silverwish whinnied in return, staying close to Legolas. The elf slowly picked his way through the fog. His ears suddenly alerted him to a sound, a dangerous clatter: Goblins. Drawing his twin blades, he turned, senses alert.

He listened carefully, making out the footsteps of eleven individuals. Closing his eyes for a second to prepare himself, he readied his twin long knives. The Goblins were suddenly upon him.

Swirling, he took out one with a stab to the neck will simultaneously killing another with a slight to the throat. Moving with jumps and leaps, he killed seven with his knives before getting a cut on the arm from one of the blades. Angered, Silverwish stormed out of what seemed like nowhere, trampling two into the ground. Ducking a blow, Legolas found himself faced with the last two, both larger than the others, and one almost bigger than Legolas.

The Goblin struck first, Legolas parrying simply, almost easily. As the two came closer and started to strike together, Legolas leapt back out of their reach, fear shining in his blue eyes. Silverwish whinnied encouragingly from somewhere behind him, spurring the young elf into action. He lunged to the right, using their size and clumsiness against them. He out stepped their blows and slipped behind them, stabbing them both in the back before they had time to turn.

Breathing hard, Legolas knelt down to wipe off his blades and whisper a prayer of thanks to the Valar. He then stood, sheathing the knives and inspecting the wound on his arm. Satisfied it wasn't fatal, he looked up at Silverwish.

"We should leave." Legolas said softly, looking to the horse, "Can you carry me?"

The stallion tossed his head and pawed at the ground, as eager as Legolas to leave this place for fear of more Goblins. Legolas murmured his thanks for the ride and mounted, grasping the white mane and encouraging, not that Silverwish needed much of that, the stallion forward, down the mountains.

Legolas rode as best he could, but his exhaustion was growing. They hadn't stopped to rest in more than twenty-four hours, and the fight with the Goblins had done little to keep up his strength. Legolas was tired and hungry, but should he eat the lembas, he would have none left if anything went wrong.

He realized with a start that Silverwish's hooves were no longer pounding against stone. Snapping out of his reverie, Legolas looked down to fine grass beneath them and the mountains growing further behind them. Relaxing, the elf slumped against Silverwish, exhaustion hitting him like a wave again.

The stallion slowed down, eventually stopping in the high grasses, confident they wouldn't be seen from afar. Legolas dropped to the ground, asleep immediately. Loyally, Silverwish lay down beside him to keep the elf warm and safe.

The dawn sun would soon be in the sky, Silverwish knew, but he wouldn't wake the tired elf. They could arrive at Imladris late tomorrow, if need be. Closing his eyes, Silverwish too drifted into sleep.

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><p><strong>PLEASE review! please?<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I am not Tolkien, thus, I do not own the characters or Lord of the Rings.**

**A/N: Okay, this is much longer. Anyway, I wanted to give special thanks to GildorInglorion for reviewing the last chapter! I can't say it enough: I LOVE REVIEWS! They just brighten up my day! Anyway, enjoy the chapter and please review!**

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

A golden-haired elf sat in the midst of a garden, eyes closed, breathing slow, and a smirk spreading over his face. All at once, two figures jumped at him. The figure was instantly on his feet and turning, sword drawn. The two dark haired figures pressed attack together, but with two clashes of swords, both were unarmed.

"It was a good effort." The golden-haired elf smiled.

"But we didn't get you!" One of the dark-haired elves, who were identical, complained.

"You'll get me one day, Elrohir. But only when Elladan here stops tripping over branches."

The other, Elladan, looked disappointed, "I didn't think you would hear that, Glorfindel."

Glorfindel smiled fondly, "Well, I did. No worries, I knew you were coming either way, but still, do try to be careful."

Elladan nodded sullenly, "Sorry."

Elrohir shrugged, "We'll get him next time!"

Hearing this, Glorfindel looked to the younger of the two twins, "My dear Elrohir, it will take many years before you best me in anything, except perhaps your insufferable pranks."

That had both twins in fits of laughter. They knew it well, and they loved pranking elves. However, they rarely targeted Glorfindel. For one, the golden-haired elf was a warrior, and not afraid at all to pick them both up and take them to their father or punish them himself. For another, they had some respect for him, especially now that they had begun training under him.

Glorfindel shook his head, hiding a smile, "All right, calm down, both of you. Why don't we go for a ride?"

Elrohir nodded enthusiastically and Elladan said, "Oh, yes please!"

"Come on then." Glorfindel grinned, leading the two twin sons of Lord Elrond toward the stables.

The two younger elves rushed ahead, and by the time Glorfindel had reached the stables, were already saddling their horses. Glorfindel called to Asfaloth, his own stallion and easily saddled him. The twins were waiting outside, impatiently, for the elder elf and his horse.

Glorfindel mounted, easily riding out of the stables and looking down at the two un-mounted twins with a devious grin, "Come on, we haven't got all day."

"Actually," Elladan whispered to Elrohir, "I think we do."

Chuckling under his breath, Glorfindel turned Asfaloth and led the twins out of Rivendell. Before long, the two twins rushed ahead, not satisfied with being lead. Glorfindel smiled fondly after the two, keeping an eye on them, just in case.

Elladan suddenly stopped, staring at something, "Um, Glorfindel!"

The golden-haired warrior looked up, "What is it, Elladan?"

"Um… Come over here, please!"

"If this is a prank, I swear-" Glorfindel threatened.

"It's not!" Elladan promised, fear filling his voice.

Riding over, Glorfindel looked at the elder twin, "What's wrong?"

Elladan motioned noiselessly to the ground. Glorfindel looked down and, among the tall grasses, lay a young elf, not much younger than the twins, and a white-silver stallion lying beside him.

Dropping to the ground, Glorfindel took gentle hold of the elf's shoulders and shook him slightly. The young elf didn't wake, but moaned. The stallion, however, nuzzled gently at his rider's back, turning him onto his side and revealing a gash in the child's arm.

The blond warrior gasped, tracing the wound gently, which caused the elf to moan in pain. Glorfindel closed his eyes for a moment, inspecting the wound as best he could without touching it. Elladan had dropped beside him, fear filling his eyes.

"Will he be all right?" Elladan asked, worry filling his tone.

"I don't know," Glorfindel answered, "But he'll be better if we get him to your father."

Elladan nodded in agreement, standing, "How do we-"

"I'll take him with me. Ride swift, Elladan, and tell your father about this." Glorfindel instructed, taking charge of the situation.

Elladan hesitated, "You'll be okay with Elrohir?"

Glorfindel gave him a look, "I'll be fine."

Elladan nodded, mounted and rode off toward Rivendell. Carefully, Glorfindel took the blond elf in his arms. The youth moaned in pain as the warrior accidentally brushed the wound against his tunic.

"Elrohir," Glorfindel called to the twin, who was ten feet away, watching with eyes full of fear, "Do you think you can hold him, just for a moment, while I mount?"

Elrohir nodded, carefully taking the elf from Glorfindel while the elder mounted; then handed him back. Holding the blond elf carefully and protectively, the warrior nudged Asfaloth into a steady trot, careful not to move too quickly for fear of further injuring the child. The young elf moaned only once on the journey back to Rivendell; the white-silver stallion followed Asfaloth closely.

Elrond was waiting for them, blue eyes full of worry, "Hurry, Glorfindel." He chastened.

Glorfindel nodded, carefully sliding off Asfaloth to land gently on the ground. Still, the youth moaned as the landing jolted him. Glorfindel murmured apologies under his breath before striding toward Elrond.

"I have a room ready." Elrond informed him, leading the golden-haired warrior through the halls, "Can you tell what happened to him?"

"No, M'lord, I can tell only he is injured, and he was alone, except for his stallion." Glorfindel filled in the Lord of Imladris.

"Alone?" Elrond seemed greatly concerned, fear in his voice, "He is younger than the twins! Surely he should not be alone!"

"I agree," Glorfindel said sadly, "But for now, we must help him come back to this world."

Elrond nodded, opening a door and leading his old friend and current advisor inside, "Lay him down, please."

Obeying, Glorfindel set the child down, "Is there anything else?"

Elrond looked up from rummaging through his healing herbs, "Stay, please, just in case."

Glorfindel nodded, taking a seat. Elrond stood and moved over to sit beside the young, injured elf. He traced the wound on his arm, carefully, but still the youth flinched terribly. Whispering soft, calming words, Elrond managed to tear off the sleeve around the wound to get to it easier.

Gently, the Lord of Imladris got a washcloth wet and began to clean the wound. Then, he took some of his healing herbs and tenderly pressed them against the wound. This was met with a large flinch from the boy. Elrond just murmured comforting elfish words and continued pressing the herbs onto the wound. When that was done, the healer retrieved a clean strip of cloth and wrapped it firmly around the youth's arm.

"He'll be fine now." Elrond promised, looking toward Glorfindel, "What I want to know is: who is he? And why was he traveling alone?"

The warrior shrugged, "I haven't the faintest idea. His stallion had a traveling bag hanging from his neck; there might be something in that that could identify him."

"Go get it then!" Elrond said, intrigued by his patient.

Glorfindel stood and ran quickly from the room, his interest also sparked. He returned moments later with the bag that had been draped around the stallion's neck. Both sat down and Glorfindel undid the latch, opening the bag. He pulled out a change of clothe, a bit of remaining lembas, and a water pouch. On closer inspection, Elrond found a map of Middle Earth and a small portrait of a family.

The picture showed three elves, a mother, father, and son. The father had pale blond hair a little past his shoulders and green-blue eyes. The mother was slim; graceful, with brown-red hair to her shoulder blades and bright blue eyes. The son had blond hair and twinkling blue eyes. All three were smiling merrily.

"It must be himself with his mother and father." Glorfindel whispered, an almost sad touch to his voice, "I wonder what happened."

"I don't know." Elrond answered, "But his mother strikes my memory as someone I knew, yet I cannot think from where."

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><p>"Legolas!" Thranduil shot up, breathing hard.<p>

It took a moment for the Elvenking to realize he was in his rooms. Slumping back against the headboard, he sighed softly, tears filling his eyes.

"It was just a dream." He reassured himself aloud.

"Thranduil?" Faeron's soft, concerned voice called from behind the door, "Are you all right?"

"P-please come in, mellon nin." Thranduil managed, trying to breath.

Faeron immediately obeyed, taking care to close the door behind him before hurrying to his king's side, "What's wrong?"

"Just a dream," Thranduil whispered.

"A bad one, by the look of you," Faeron took his friend's hand.

"No word on him then?" The Elvenking asked wearily, sadness brewing in his eyes.

Faeron shook his head, knowing well his report would do little to ease the king's mind, "Nothing, not a peep. I'm sorry, Thranduil; truly I am."

"I know you are, but it's not your fault." The King answered sadly, "If this is anyone's fault, it's mine. I should've kept my temper and been kinder with my words."

"Thranduil," Faeron's tone was warning, "Don't you dare start this again. Your brooding does nothing for your son or anyone else. You should be getting up anyway. We have a long day ahead of us."

Thranduil nodded, but the pain never left his eyes.

"At least we know he isn't dead." Faeron pointed out, trying to be of some consolation to the king.

"Yes, t-there it that." Thranduil managed to agree, "But he could be hurt."

Faeron nodded. The prince had a way of getting into situations that ended with him getting hurt. Hopefully, where ever he was, Legolas was warm and safe. A foolish hope, but Faeron clung to it, because Thranduil's son meant so much to him. The young prince meant quite a bit to most the staff, actually, though the Elvenking didn't know it. He prayed that Legolas would be safe, for all their sakes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or Lord of the Rings.**

**A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers! Seriously, EVERY review means something to me. So, I'm gonna respond to the ones that I feel need responding to.**

**GildorInglorion: Thanks for reviewing! Faeron is the elfish name for Hugo, which means 'Spirit'. **

**Eternal Love's Eclipse: Thanks for the review! Thranduil's a little difficult for me to write, but I'll definitely try that the next time I write him!**

**Connortemple4evaneva: Thanks! Don't worry, we see plenty of Elrond. :)**

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

Glorfindel looked at Elrond, who was continuously pacing the length of the study, in general amusement. Long had it been since he had seen the Lord of Ilmadris like this: set on figuring out a puzzle. The Elf-lord was muttering how he just knew he had known that elleth in the picture.

"I just can't place it!" Elrond declared at last, clearly annoyed.

"M'lord," Glorfindel began softly, trying in vain to hide the laughter behind his voice, "Perhaps you ought to simply wait until the child wakes and ask him instead of tormenting yourself so."

"Perhaps I should." Elrond agreed.

"Speaking of our young patient, shouldn't we go check on him?" Glorfindel asked, looking toward the door that led into the hallway.

Elrond nodded his agreement and led the way through the halls to the child's room. Entering, they found the blond elf breathing easily; there was a peaceful expression on his face. A low moan came from him as the slight noise Elrond and Glorfindel made caused him to stir.

"W-What happened?" He asked in a confused voice.

"You were injured badly, little one." Glorfindel spoke before Elrond could, "But you are safe now. Where were you bound for?"

"Rivendell, to the house of Lord Elrond," The elf answered.

"Is there a matter you needed to speak to me about?" Elrond asked softly.

The youth's eyes widened as he saw Elrond for who he was, "L-Lord Elrond!"

"Calm down, penneth." The Lord of Imladris sat down beside his patient, "You're still hurt."

The boy looked instinctively at his arm; then closing his eyes briefly, "Oh."

Elrond smiled fatherly, "What's your name?"

"Legolas," The younger elf told them.

Memory flowed before Elrond's eyes like a waterfall before he answered, "Welcome to Imladris, Thranduilion."

Glorfindel too suddenly remembered the child. The warrior had met him on his last trip to Mirkwood, shortly after Legolas's mother had been killed. Glorfindel had gifted the grieving prince a beautiful and well-made bow.

"Are you here for your father?" Glorfindel inquired.

"No," Legolas denied, "I-I come here on my own quest."

"And what is that?" Elrond asked.

"I come to ask you for refuge from my father." Legolas whispered.

"Why do you need refuge from him?" Glorfindel asked, his shock and sudden worry audible in his voice.

"We argued terribly. He was so angry at me and…" Legolas faltered.

"What did you argue about?" Elrond questioned, not noticing how the boy had stuttered at the end of his statement.

"Well," Legolas sighed, "I slept with the trees, perfectly safely, for a single night and managed to miss some sort of dinner by accident. He blew up at me, and… well, I'd rather not talk about it. I just figured I'd better leave."

Elrond, not satisfied, but realizing he wouldn't get anything else out of Legolas, nodded, "Very well; why don't you get some rest?"

The blond elf yawned, "I would like that."

Elrond nodded gently, following Glorfindel into the hall and closing the door softly behind him.

Glorfindel smiled knowingly, "You already like him, don't you?"

"He's a sweet child." Elrond pointed out.

"I agree; he truly is very polite and kind." Glorfindel granted, his smirk not ceasing, "But you already look on him as a son and he's been here a day. Ai, Elrond, one day your generosity, kindness, and trusting manner are going to get us into trouble."

"You're impossible some days," Elrond groaned, rubbing his eyes, thinking back to Legolas, "The poor child, he's scared even now that he is here and safe with our protection."

"Elrond, mellon nin, he just ran away from home, it's going to take time for him to adjust." Glorfindel pointed out.

"Who just ran away?" Elladan inquired, walking over.

"The elf you found, ion nin (my son)," Elrond answered.

"Who is he?" Elladan questioned, curiosity burning in his eyes brightly, "Where is he from and why did he-"

"Slow down," Glorfindel interrupted; then answered, "He is Legolas Thranduilion of Mirkwood, and he left due to his father. He needs a friend, Elladan, I can just tell. Try to be pleasant and friendly."

"Of course," Elladan agreed, "I could sit with him, i-if that's okay and you think he wouldn't mind."

"Very well," Elrond found himself relieved to have his son so open to being friends with the other elf, "If you wouldn't mind changing the bandage on his arm in about an hour, you could do that too,"

Elladan nodded, smiling brightly, and Glorfindel raised an eyebrow, whispering under his breath, "That gets you out of math with Erestor, right?"

The older twin smiled sheepishly and whispered back, "Aye."

Grinning, the golden-haired warrior turned and followed Elrond down the hallway, leaving Elladan to care for Legolas.

* * *

><p>Legolas blinked, bringing sight back to his eyes to find a young elf about his age with straight brown hair and twinkling eyes beside him. The elf, upon realizing he was awake, flinched a bit.<p>

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." The elf said.

"It's not a problem." Legolas shrugged, glancing down to see the other had been changing the bandage on his injured arm, "Thank you."

Smiling, the elf tied off the fresh bandage and held out a hand, "I'm Elladan, son of Elrond."

"Legolas, son of Thranduil," The prince supplied his name, realizing Elrond's son was trying to be friendly and took his hand.

Elladan shook his hand; then sat down beside him, "How do you feel?"

"Well enough." Legolas answered truthfully.

"Good," Elladan said with a bright smile, "Later, I could show you around Ilmadris, if you like."

Sitting up, Legolas questioned, "Why not now?"

Lowering his voice, Elladan whispered, "Technically, I'm supposed to be with my twin, Elrohir, studying math."

Legolas chuckled, apparently all young elves shared one thing: they hated schoolwork, "I see. So you're skipping your lesson to sit with me?"

Elladan nodded, looking sheepish, "Yeah, well… it's not like Ada doesn't know where I am or something."

"Tell me about your father, please." Legolas said, resting his head against the pillows, "Mine is very busy and distracted most the time."

"Ada isn't like that at all!" Elladan said, shock in his voice, "My adar always tries to make as much time for us as he can. He's a kind elf, and only actually punishes us for anything if it's really bad."

"Like what?" Legolas asked, intrigued.

Stifling a laugh, Elladan replied, "Well, one time, Elrohir and I managed to dump a bucket of water onto Erestor- he's one of my dad's advisors and our tutor."

Legolas found himself laughing, "Ai! I would never get away with that."

Elladan cocked his head, "What does your father get angry about?"

"When I miss his political dinners, I don't think anything gets to him more. The only problem is, I don't see him at dinner otherwise, and he doesn't think to tell me about them, so I never know. Half the time I'm doing something I had told him about the previous day. He doesn't have much time at all for me, and when he does, his attention is always somewhere else."

Elladan placed a sympathetic hand on Legolas's shoulder, "And you're here because…"

"I-I don't know where else to go. My father and I had our biggest argument in a long while. I left, as fast as Silverwish could carry me."

"Well, as long as you're here in Rivendell, my father will do all in his power to protect you." Elladan promised.

"Thank you."

Elladan nodded, "Come on. Erestor should be almost finished torturing my brother with math by now. We'll find him and show you around."

Smiling, Legolas eagerly slipped out of bed, quickly throwing on a fresh tunic and following Elladan out the door. Something told Legolas that this was the beginning of something wonderful.

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or Lord of the Rings.**

**A/N: Thanks so much for reviewing! Well, considering we just had a 5.9 or 6.0 (depending on who you're listening to) earthquake like four hours ago, I'm uploading late. I currently live in Costa Rica, and may I say it's not the paradise you completely believe it is, especially not on Friday the 13th (today's events were a large thunderstorm and a 6.0 earthquake, plus a few minor things). My family and I are thankfully fine, and as for those closer to the epicenter… I honestly have no idea. That may be something I'll look into. Thus, since I'm late, I'm not going to respond individually to reviews right now, but just say a big thank you overall, to everyone.**

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><p>Chapter 6<p>

Elrond heard laughter outside and rose to go to the window. The sight that greeted him warmed his heart. Somehow Elladan and Legolas had ended up in the stream that ran through the garden. Elrohir was still dry and laughing hard, a look of guilt on his face. Legolas and Elladan exchanged a glance before jumping up simultaneously, grabbing Elrohir, and pulling him into the water after them.

"Cold!" Elrohir shrieked, causing the other two to burst out laughing.

Elrond was so caught in watching his sons and their new friend that he didn't notice two figures slipping inside his study. One stepped beside him, glancing down at the small war of water the three youths were having.

"It's good to see them getting on so well." Glorfindel commented, smiling fondly.

"Aye," Elrond agreed.

The other figure, an elf with dark hair and blue-gray eyes, nodded slowly, "I'm truly glad your sons have a new companion, My Lord. But, I'll warn you now: they need to study. If this continues to interfere with that as it did this afternoon,"

"Ai, Erestor!" Glorfindel sighed, "Is that all you ever think about?" The golden haired elf made sure to smile slightly at Erestor to make sure the other knew he was teasing.

"I am truly sorry about this afternoon." Elrond spoke up, "I forgot Elladan should have been studying with you; it was under my permission he stayed with Legolas."

Erestor nodded, "So I heard."

"I actually wanted to talk to you about something of the sort." Elrond began.

"Oh?" Erestor looked up.

Elrond nodded, "I was wondering if it wouldn't be too much trouble if you were to teach Legolas in addition to my sons. I'm sure he won't cause near as much trouble as the twins and-"

"Elrond, mellon nin, _no one_ can be as much trouble as those two twin nightmares you fathered." Erestor said with a rare teasing tone to his voice, "I may as well."

"They aren't that bad."

Glorfindel and Erestor simultaneously spoke, "They are."

Sighing heavily, Elrond began to speak but Glorfindel beat him to it, "They're pranksters and troublemakers, as most of us were, save probably Erestor. They'll turn out fine, but right now…"

Erestor nodded, "Right now they are consistently quite a bit of trouble."

Glorfindel asked, before Elrond could continue the discussion about the twins, "So, does he join the twins with me as well?"

"Yes. While Legolas is here, he ought to keep up his studies. And no one is to tell anyone from Mirkwood about Legolas's being here, understood?"

Both advisors nodded and promised to see to it.

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><p>Legolas sat comfortably on a couch, listening to Elladan and Elrohir plot their next prank.<p>

"So, we should-"Elladan broke off suddenly.

Only a second later, a young elleth, or younger than the twins and a little younger than Legolas, peeked around the corner and announced, "Elladan; Elrohir, dinner is almost ready."

"Hannon le (Thank you); we'll be down in a minute."

"All right," She agreed pleasantly.

Legolas looked to Elladan, "Who is she?"

"That's Arwen," He answered, "Our younger sister."

Elrohir was giving Legolas a half-skeptical look until Elladan elbowed him. Legolas blinked; then nodded, "Oh."

"We'd better get to dinner." Elrohir said, standing and rubbing his arm where Elladan had hit him.

Elladan nodded in agreement and lead them through the halls to the dining room. Legolas was shocked to find Elrond, Glorfindel, and a dark-haired elf already present, and, along with Arwen, completely alone.

"Hungry, I hope?" Glorfindel asked, smiling brightly.

Both twins nodded eagerly, sitting down and quickly inviting Legolas to sit next to them. He was about to agree when Elrond spoke.

"Penneth," He said fondly, shocking Legolas with the fatherly touch to his voice, "Trust me, don't sit next to either of them. You won't get very much to eat, as the food on their end of the table tends to disappear quite quickly.

The twins protested, "Unfair!"

"But," Arwen interjected gently, "It's true."

Legolas nodded, taking a seat next to Arwen, figuring that would be safe enough. Now that he could see her clearly, he noticed she had dark brown or black hair and bright blue eyes that shone. She smiled brightly at him. For the first time In a while, he fully relaxed, grinning back at her, and eating the meal with plenty of conversation and laugher.

In the middle of the meal, Erestor leaned toward Glorfindel, whispering, "Legolas is very different from his father. I don't think I've ever heard Thranduil laugh like this."

Glorfindel nodded, "Aye, he's quite something, mellon nin; quite something indeed."

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><p>"He's certainly something else." Nendir, one of Mirkwood's best trackers, sighed, "He knew what time to leave, which ways to travel, and how to leave the least amount of track-able evidence behind to have us lose him, I think. We tracked him to the Old Forest Road, but from there, we don't know if he traveled along it, or crossed it. If he <em>was<em> bearing for Lothlorien, his heading the right way to hit the Anduin a ways north and travel along it to Lorien."

Faeron nodded, "Are you sure?"

Nendir smiled sadly, "We triple checked. The tracks have been washed away."

Faeron sighed heavily, "All right; thank you. I'll go inform the king."

"Is he okay?" Nendir inquired curiously, "This can't be easy on him, having his son run away like that."

"It's worse than you know." Faeron admitted to the tracker, another one of the king's old friends, "The Elvenking blames himself for driving Prince Legolas away. They had an argument, you see."

Nendir nodded in understanding. Legolas and his father had often clashed, and their arguments where known throughout the palace for their volume. But never had either retaliated so much, usually they were back on good terms within the day.

"Well," Nendir hesitated for a long moment, "if it does the king's heart any good, I found this not too far from the Old Forest Road."

Nendir held out a small bit of blond hair to Faeron. The advisor gave a little gasp, relieved and saddened at the same time. Relieved that Legolas was alive, but saddened because the prince wasn't here. Faeron wished he could show the child how much he truly meant to his father; how devastated Thranduil was.

Nendir then continued, "And there's no sign of Orcs near where he was traveling."

Faeron managed a smile as he took the lock of hair, "Thank you."

"If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to call."

"I won't, and thanks again."

"Anytime," Nendir turned, walking away slowly.

Faeron took a deep breath before going over to Thranduil's study. He knocked on the door and called, "Milord?"

"I'm here; come in, Faeron." The Elvenking called wearily.

Opening the door and stepping into the study, Faeron looked at the wall of books for a moment. Then, he spotted Thranduil in one of the corners, looking down at a small book.

"Nendir was just here." Faeron said, gently touching his friend's shoulder, "He lost Legolas's trail at the Old Forest Road."

Thranduil nodded slowly, the pain rushing forward in his eyes again, "There is no telling where he went, then."

"Not for sure," Faeron agreed hesitantly, "But we know he went as far as the road safely. Nendir figures his heading is about right for Lorien; there's no signs of Orcs near his path."

Thranduil nodded again. Faeron sighed; his friend was weighed down with grief and guilt. The old sparkle had gone from his eyes, even the dull shine that had been almost-always present after his wife's death was no longer to be seen. Faeron knew Thranduil enough to know the king was having an internal struggle over excusing his son's disappearance from his conscious and yet he felt it couldn't be so easily put aside. Thranduil loved Legolas; always had, though his ability to show how he felt was lacking, but he had always cherished the boy. Now that Legolas was gone, leaving Thranduil in guilt, the Elvenking was struggling with the conflicting emotions that overwhelmed him completely.

"I miss him." The king finally managed, "I miss him _so_ much."

Green eyes swiftly softening, Faeron placed an arm around Thranduil, "I know you do."

Thranduil's gaze dropped to his friend's hand, "W-What is that?"

Faeron quickly held out the small lock of white-blond hair, "Nendir found it and hoped it might do your heart some good."

Thranduil's eyes widened and his hand darted outward to grasp the lock of hair, holding it close to him. Traces of tears swam in the king's blue eyes.

"I-I wish I had told him how much he means to me." Thranduil whispered.

"You'll get the chance to tell him when we find him." Faeron promised.

"I hope so, otherwise, I'll never be able to forgive myself."

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><p><strong>Please review! I love feedback!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or Lord of the Rings.**

**A/N: Wow, thanks everyone for reviewing! It means a lot to me! This is like a day late. If you don't want the excuse, just skip the rest of this. I went on a three day school trip, and almost got killed by a giant wave (we went to Manuel Antonio, which has beaches). I also went white water rafting. Overall, it was pretty awesome, but when I got back yesterday, I fell asleep at like 7:00 here after dinner. So, I'm updating a day late. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and review again please!**

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><p>Chapter 7<p>

Elladan laughed merrily as Elrohir playfully swiped at him. Glorfindel shook his head, exchanging an amused look with Erestor.

Arwen, rolling her eyes slightly, sat down on one of the couches in the main living area and asked, "Uncle Glorfindel, later tonight, will you tell us a story?"

Glorfindel's deep blue eyes sparkled, "Of course."

Elrohir grinned, exchanging a meaningful look with his older twin as Elrond inputted, "Nothing too violent, mellon nin."

"All right," Glorfindel agreed, but a mischievous shine was coming into his eyes.

Elladan grinned knowingly; then turned to Legolas, "So, tell about Mirkwood. We've never been there ourselves, only Glorfindel."

Legolas launched into an account of his homeland, mainly the geographic figures. He spoke of the trees that whispered to him to his father's underground halls. Elrond and the others were nodding and asking small, quick questions throughout the account. Then Arwen politely asked what his life had been like there. The question first fazed Legolas, and he honestly didn't want to answer it. But they had all been kind and understanding thus far, so hesitantly, he complied. He didn't go into much detail, but told them how busy his father often was and how little he saw the king. He told them how he spent many hours at the archery fields, and how many of the warriors knew him quite well. He also told them of the Orcs and Spiders that plagued his home and how they had learned to deal with them. This part was met with more confused glances from the twins and Arwen, and slight frowns from the older.

When he finished, Arwen burst out, "You mean you don't see your Ada all day sometimes!"

Legolas somehow managed to answer easily, "It's not a rare happening; I'm lucky if I _do_ see him. When I do, he's often preoccupied, his mind is nearly always elsewhere now. It's been that way since my Naneth's (mother's) death."

"Your Nana died?" Arwen's voice was full of utter sympathy.

"Ours passed over the sea." Elladan explained quickly, a bit of the pain still audible in his voice.

Arwen moved closer to Legolas, understanding shimmering in her eyes. It shocked Legolas, because not many had suffered anything like what he had gone through. But it seemed the children of Elrond had gone through quite the same.

"She went to the Halls of Mandos?" Elrohir finally voiced the question hanging over all three.

Legolas forced a nod, "S-She was killed by Orcs."

Arwen turned and threw her arms around him, "You must miss her so much."

"I-I do." Legolas admitted, slowly returning her embrace.

A slight smile slipped over Glorfindel's face as he remembered how hard Legolas had first taken his mother's death. But now the prince of Mirkwood seemed much more healed, and content to have Arwen hugging him.

Elladan touched Legolas's shoulder, "I'm sorry, mellon nin."

Legolas nodded to show he heard; visibly relaxing as Elladan called him a friend. Arwen released him, but stayed relatively close. Elrond too took a deep breath and sat down on Legolas's other side.

Glorfindel was first to speak; he knew they all needed a lift of heart, "Would now be a good time for that story?"

Legolas nodded, trying to fully get a handle on himself again, "Yes, please."

Glorfindel immediately launched into an account about the Last Alliance. Legolas had heard of the battle prior to then, but enjoyed it greatly the way the golden-haired warrior told it. Toward the end, knowing well how this particular story would end with Gil-Galad's death at the gates of Mordor, Legolas's dowsed off.

The next thing he knew, someone was carrying him carefully. His eyes gained sight enough to find Elrond the one holding him. The Lord didn't notice Legolas's waking and opened a door, gently laying him down on the bed.

"You've been blesses with a wonderful family." Legolas whispered then, letting Elrond know he was indeed awake.

"I have," Elrond agreed, sitting down on the edge of the bed, "Including Glorfindel and Erestor."

Legolas nodded, "I noticed. You are very fortunate to have such a family; I wish I did."

Sighing sadly for Legolas's loss, Elrond looked toward the younger elf, "You can, maybe not with your father, but…" Elrond trailed off.

Legolas's eyes shot up, "M-Milord, what exactly are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I believe half of us already look on you as family and that until the circumstances change, or if they ever do, we can be your family."

A smile crossed Legolas's face, "I would like that; I would like that very much."

Elrond smiled; put an arm around Legolas, who instinctively leaned into Elrond. The Elf-lord's calm presence fought away the strange feeling that he had just betrayed his father.

"If you ever need something, don't hesitate to come talk to me." Elrond whispered, "I can make up for any amount of time you need, I mean it."

Legolas nodded, "Thank you."

"Always," Elrond promised.

Legolas smiled sleepily. He leaned heavier on Elrond, allowing his mind to calm down. After a few minutes, his breathing dipped and he fell into sleep.

* * *

><p>Thalion stood before the Elvenking, sorry to be the one telling him this. But it had to be told, and Thalion had been in charge of the search parties.<p>

"My King," he began, "Your son isn't in Lothlorien, Gondor, or Rohan as far as the leaders know. We have no idea where he fled to if he knew nothing of Lord Elrond."

Thranduil's hope-filled eyes clouded with darkness, the pain reality caused as it crashed in visible in the king's holding of himself. He dropped, none too graciously, onto his throne, closing his eyes as the grief washed over him. He wanted to move on; he knew his people needed him, but whatever he did, he couldn't forget his son, or forgive himself for causing it. The Elvenking was barely aware of Faeron's dismissal of Thalion or that his friend had walked over. Thus, the sudden touch and comforting rub of hands against his tensed shoulders surprised him, but only for a mere moment.

"Thranduil," Faeron's soft voice came next, his tone letting the king know he was there and willing to listen.

"He's gone. He's really gone." Thranduil whimpered, leaning more and more into Faeron's massaging fingers.

"Can you tell if he's alive?"

Thranduil instantly knew what Faeron was asking. He and Legolas had been very close when the child was younger; his mother still alive. Close enough that they had known often what the other was feeling. Many a day had Legolas crept down the hall, determined to make his father smile when the king was frustrated, or vice versa. Closing his eyes, Thranduil began to seek out that old bond.

"I-I think he is." Thranduil answered at last.

"Then at least there's that. We'll find him someday; he won't stay this way forever. It's not his way of doing things, he runs only when he can't face someone or something at that moment. Just wait, he'll show up, sooner or later."

"I can only pray he does." Thranduil whispered, "I hate that, I want to be looking for him myself."

"I know." Faeron said understandingly, "Perhaps you can, if we tackle that pile of paper work early."

"Somehow, I figured that would find its way into our conversation." Thranduil sighed, but his eyes sparkled slightly.

* * *

><p>Elladan sighed, rubbing his eyes as Erestor drowned on about something-or-other. Elrohir had fallen asleep, his eyes slightly glazed over, about fifteen minutes ago. Whether Legolas was still awake, Elladan didn't know. The prince of Mirkwood was looking Erestor's way, his head leaning on his hand.<p>

Erestor paused, looking at Elrohir for a long moment. Elladan immediately knew Erestor was now aware of the fact his brother was fast asleep. But instead of stopping and yelling at Elrohir as he would've usually done, Erestor gave a heavy sigh, which was followed by a long silence.

After a moment, Legolas broke the eerie soundlessness, "Won't you continue, My Lord?"

Erestor glanced to Legolas before continuing with the history lesson. Elladan, curious now that he knew Legolas was interested, found that Erestor was talking about the Last Allience, the same battle Glorfindel had told of the night before, but in more detail. He was getting to the part where Oropher decided to charge the gate of Mordor without any other aid.

Legolas's voice interrupted carefully, "Milord, why did Oropher decide to do so?"

Erestor was momentarily shocked, not expecting a question, but recovered enough to say, "Well, and I'm not sure on this, but I do believe it was due to the fact he wanted to show he didn't need to depend on anyone."

Legolas nodded, "Pride,"

"It is the downfall of many great warriors." Erestor pointed out.

"Indeed." Legolas agreed, "If he had not rushed the gate alone, would he and Gil-Galad still be alive?"

"There's no way to tell for sure." Erestor said, "But there's a possibility that they would've made it through."

Legolas inclined his head, "I guess so."

Erestor nodded, and then continued with his lesson. Once more was he interrupted by Legolas, who asked about the strategy used and if a strategy like the one the woodland elves, which was many consisted of using as much cover as was possible, would've worked better. This launched into a discussion between the two about how the different strategies worked and how it might have worked in the scenario of the battles of the Last Alliance.

By the time they had finished their discussion on strategies; their daily study time was nearly over. Elladan sharply nudged his brother, waking the younger twin. Erestor swiftly closed the lesson and dismissed them, looking curiously after Legolas, especially after the son of Thranduil thanked him before leaving.

"How in Arda did you manage that?" Elladan asked, incredulous.

"Manage what, exactly?" Legolas inquired back, looking at the elder twin with confusion in his blue-silver eyes.

"To get Erestor so off-topic,"

"All I did was ask a question." Legolas pointed out, "History is one of the few things I like. Unlike math which I'm horrible at, I'm rather good at history; I get it."

Elladan nodded, "I guess so,"

Legolas smiled and ran ahead to catch up with Elrohir, who was already half-way to the dining hall.

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><p><strong>Please review! I love feedback!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or Lord of the Rings.**

**A/N: Okay, it's been a hectic week, and I had to actually write this over the course of five days of homework, finals, and a bunch of other annoying stuff (*cough* media project *cough*). So, I'll apologize right now if this chapter has a few mistakes, I can't edit like I usually do. It's the longest yet though, and how that happened, I don't know. But I'm out of prewritten chapters, and, if school continues like this for the remaining week and two days, I may or may not be able to write the next chapter. But reviews never hurt… (hint, hint) I also at last know exactly where I'm going with this beyond a vague idea, which is good! I noticed a recurring note/theme to the reviews, and, shockingly enough, it filled one of the gaps I had PERFECTLY. So, thanks to everybody who reviewed, and hopefully I'll be able to update soon! **

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

Glorfindel looked across at Elrond, who was lost in some deep thought. Erestor suddenly swept in, a smile on his face as he greeted his two friends and sat down. Elrond looked up and regarded Erestor carefully, wondering what could've brought on a good mood, as he had been tutoring the twins, which usually left him rather tired and annoyed.

Glorfindel, who also noticed this, was the one to voice the question, "What made you so happy, Erestor?"

Erestor grinned, "I do believe I just had the best class that I've ever taught."

"Did the twins pay attention?" Glorfindel asked, incredulous.

"No, Elrohir was asleep the whole time, and Elladan listened only at certain points. But Legolas," Erestor smiled fondly, "He was not only listening, but engaged. I'm considering asking Thranduil for a job if all Sinda elflings are like that!"

Glorfindel laughed, "Ah, so that's what it is! Legolas certainly comes off in a different way than the twins."

Elrond nodded, eyes clouded into thought again. Erestor looked quizzically to Glorfindel, who shrugged in response.

"He's been doing that all morning." Glorfindel informed Erestor.

"Well, Elrond, something's eating at you!" Erestor pointed out in a gentle voice, "Are you going to tell us?"

Elrond glanced up; then sighed softly, "I've been thinking,"

"Thinking about what?" Erestor asked before Glorfindel could put in a comment.

"Thranduil," Came the answer, "I can't help thinking I should tell him his son is safe."

Glorfindel's eyes lit with understanding, "You think he regrets… whatever it was that happened?"

"I know that often a single side to a story is not fully correct." Elrond answered, "And I cannot help but think whatever occurred that caused Legolas's plight was no more than the result of exhaustion, a misunderstanding, and the heat of the argument. I knew Thranduil long ago, and I don't believe he would purposely hurt a child. And if it _was_ a mistake and misunderstanding, I cannot even begin to imagine how he must feel now!"

Erestor nodded, "But at the same time, do we trust Legolas enough to take his word that he's better off here? He's becoming quite fond of this place, and if we told Thranduil his son was here, don't you think the Elvenking would come to get him? If Legolas truly doesn't want to be found, which I assume he does not, then he may feel… betrayed and angry. What's to stop him from running off from Thranduil again in that case? It really comes down to who we trust more, Legolas or Elrond's memories of Thranduil. And I'm not leaning to a side, as Legolas is still a child and can misinterpret despite his knowledge and we know not if Thranduil remained the same over the years."

Glorfindel looked first at Erestor; then Elrond, "There's no easy answer to this. Though, if it is the matter of Thranduil changing, I do not believe he has changed all that much. Though, as Elrond remembers him best from the years before the Last Alliance, he has become colder to most, and cherishes little, but over my visits I had come to know that Legolas and Thranduil were quite close. But then, my last visit was just after Queen Erewren died, and I know not how deeply that affected Thranduil. Perhaps we just write to the king, saying we heard his son had left and see how he responds?"

"How would we explain how we knew?" Erestor inquired, "Besides Legolas's arrival, no one has come this way looking for him or even bringing word from his father."

Elrond nodded, "That is a point I've been trying to figure out for some time, and I think I have the answer. You remember, long ago, Thranduil and I were good friends. But ever since the Last Alliance, we've been distant and nearly cold to each other, no doubt he silently blames me for the death of his father as I, though I shamefully admit it; blame him for Gil-Galad's death. What really happened, is, I see now, that neither of us had a hand in any of it really, yet we were so quick to judge the other on the actions of the father. But, in any rate, I should think Thranduil didn't tell Legolas much about me, and was unaware that Erewren, his wife and one of my closest friends in Mirkwood besides Thranduil, did tell the child of Ilmadris. Thus, he would be led to believe Legolas wouldn't flee here, but more likely Lorien or even Rohan and Gondor. No doubt eventually he'll find it worthwhile to send someone here, but when is key to the whole thing."

There was a long pause, broken by Glorfindel, "There's a better solution than you are seeing, Milord, and it is now painfully obvious to me."

"Then speak it, mellon nin!"

"It's easy really," Glorfindel said, a slow smile coming over his face, "Thranduil, upon finding his son gone, would've sent out men immediately to find him. They would've already been to Gondor, Rohan, and Lorien and returned if I know the scouts of Mirkwood. Upon hearing this, the king will begin to worry even more; want to go himself. He'll do what he can to tide his kingdom over in his absence and ride forth himself to look for his son. He will stop first in Lorien, as it is most sensible Legolas would flee there."

"So?" Elrond inquired; confusion in his eyes.

"So, send the twins to see their grandparents in Lorien and have Legolas join them! With any luck at all, we'll be able to overtake Thranduil and once they find one another, I have a feeling the whole thing will just fall into place. Legolas will think it was a coincidence and Thranduil will be none the wiser than his son on that. At least then we won't have fully betrayed either." Glorfindel answered.

"The twins are too young to travel such distances alone, and there is a large stack of paperwork on my desk that says I'm not able to leave." Elrond said, thoughtfully, "Unless you would be willing to go, Glorfindel?"

Glorfindel nodded, "Aye, I could use some time off, if you can call it that. It would be good to see Galadriel, Celeborn, and Haldir again."

Elrond nodded, "Let it be so, then. Take the prince to Lorien, and let us hope you meet his father and this whole mess is resolved."

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><p>Faeron fought back the sudden urge to groan aloud. Thranduil was beside him, absently half-listening to the heated debate going on. He was mostly focused on trying to read over a bit of paperwork. The rest of the advisors were screaming back and forth at one another. What had started as a simple meeting had turned into a free-for-all yelling contest. From what little Faeron could catch, they were arguing on whether or not to ask for aid in fighting the spiders and Orcs that were becoming more and more common.<p>

"Well, the prince was taken by _something_ wasn't he? And he was turning into a fine young warrior! Would you really let that go without challenge?"

Thranduil's head shot up and he said firmly in his most dignified voice, "My son is _not_ dead!"

An eerie silence fell over the room at the sudden outburst. They all exchanged uneasy glances with each other, all afraid to speak.

"Milord," One finally spoke in an almost soothing voice, "Nothing is certain just yet. Surely if he were capable, Prince Legolas would've returned by now."

"Not...necessarily." Thranduil contradicted in a pained voice.

"Young Legolas may have felt as though he needed to get away for a while." Faeron rescued the king from having to tell the others about the argument between father and son.

One of the fiercer and hot-tempered Lords, Urúvion, spoke, "You mean to say he ran away like an elfling?"

Faeron let his eyes flash dangerously, but it was Thranduil who shouted, "He is not an elfling! He is your prince and you ought to speak of him thus!"

Urúvion frowned, "Very well. Why would the Prince feel he needs to get away? Never before has he expressed a desire to leave!"

Thranduil's face drained of color a little more and his head shot to look at Faeron. Faeron gave a helpless shrug, giving his king a little nod to tell him that it was his choice on how to go about this.

After a moment, Thranduil answered, "Because he may have felt he wasn't wanted."

This sent most the Lords into a flurry. They were all rather fond of, or at least didn't mind, their prince. Thus, they immediately began to try to figure out how the boy could've felt that way.

The Elvenking's pained voice stopped them from beginning another loud argument, "It wasn't due to any of you. The blame for Legolas's feelings can lie nowhere but with me."

This was met with complete silence, broken by the single female advisor under Thranduil, Arasinya, who was usually very quiet, "Y-You argued, Milord?"

Thranduil gave a nod, closing his eyes. Arasinya looked down for a moment, as though waiting for someone to speak.

When no one did, she murmured, "That explains how distant you've been these last days, Milord, I was… wondering." She looked up at last and said in a stronger voice, "You are going to look for him yourself, I'll take it?"

Her question was met with another nod, "Yes. I must find him, if for nothing else than to know he is safe."

She nodded slightly, "Shouldn't you send a messenger to Ilmadris, Milord? I am aware you are not on the best of terms with Elrond Half-Elven, but surely we should at least tell them to look for your son?"

Thranduil looked up, meeting her eyes, "I do believe that was the best piece of advice I've heard this entire time!"

Arasinya's cheeks flushed with color, "T-Thank you, Milord."

Faeron stood, "Then that's that. We can continue the debate another time."

No one objected and they quickly left. Arasinya hesitated, but then grabbed her cloak and would've followed.

But Thranduil's voice stopped her, "Please stay a moment."

Faeron saw the flash of fear in her eyes before she could hide it, but obligingly turned around to face her king, "Milord?"

"Arasinya, you know my son?"

"I know Prince Legolas well. He is no stranger to me or my company. In the days after his mother's death I stole many afternoons to give him someone to talk to. Even after that, I did my best to eat at the same time as he and listen to him when he just needed to vent his frustration." Arasinya answered, a certain confidence in her voice.

Thranduil blinked in surprise at this information, but, figuring there was probably a lot about his son he didn't know, dismissed it, "Yes, well, while I'm gone, someone must govern over this realm, and Faeron shall come with me, with or without my permission."

The elleth realized what he was asking and her eyes widened, "Me, Lord? Are you certain?

"Yes, you are one of the few that has an open mind to subjects. I trust you in this matter."

"I am… honored, Milord."

"Will you accept?"

Faeron looked to the slim figure with the faint gleam of hope in his eyes. He knew she would rule as alike to Thranduil as she could. She met his eyes with a confidence he had never seen in her before.

"I will, Milord."

"Excellent." A smile came over Thranduil's face.

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><p><strong>Review! If you do, I might be inspired to write really fast.<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or Lord of the Rings.**

**A/N: Okay, so it's pretty much filler and it's two days late… sorry. There were projects due all week (one each day) and there's one due tomorrow. But then, after Tuesday, school is done! Thus I should be able to write more and maybe update more often! Thanks to all my awesome reviewers! I wasn't sure whether or not I should even put this up, but you guys made me finish the chapter and proof read it (kinda). **

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><p>Chapter 9<p>

Elrond wrote quickly, his penmanship slightly lacking its normal grace as his hand moved with swift flicks. He paused, wondering whether or not to tell Celeborn about the plot to get Thranduil and Legolas to make up. The Lord sighed; then decided against it, if help was needed, Galadriel would give it, for she would know Glorfindel's plot the moment he set foot in her realm.

He finished his letter to his father-in-law, which warned him of the twin's visit, and that a friend was tagging along. Elrond had not further specified on who exactly the friend was. He smiled slightly as he sealed the letter. This visit was a long time in the coming, the twins had before expressed the desire to see their grandparents, but this would be their first trip to Lorien. Even with Glorfindel traveling with them, Elrond was hesitant to let his sons go.

Whenever the feeling got strong enough for him to want to call off the trip, he remembered Thranduil. The Elvenking would be going through worse, as his only son had run away. It was in that mind-set that Elrond was letting the twins go without him.

Erestor was suddenly in the door, or perhaps he had been there a while. It was always hard for Elrond to tell exactly how long the advisor had been somewhere.

"Elrond, are you quite sure about this?" Erestor asked.

The Lord of Imladris looked up, "Yes, I am. Legolas won't go to Lorien without the twins, and the twins wouldn't let him go without them, thus-"

Erestor interrupted, "Well, I can see what's bothering you about this trip. I meant: are you sure that this is a good idea?"

"Thranduil will miss his son, Erestor, and it's just… wrong to harbor him without his father's knowledge for very long."

"I'm aware and I agree, but… I don't know, I just have this feeling that something bad is going to happen."

"You're over-thinking this; you're as worried as I am." Elrond murmured.

"Maybe I am." Erestor agreed softly, slight hesitation in his voice, "And I hope so, but I just can't shake the feeling of dread."

"Nor can I, but I think both of our imaginations are running away with us. It is, after all, the first time the twins are leaving without the two of us going with them as well. Anyway, it's nearly midnight; we should both get some rest."

At this, Erestor nodded, "Goodnight, then, Lord Elrond." With that the dark-haired advisor left the room.

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><p>Legolas woke for a fitful sleep to the gentle brush of a tree limb against the window. He lay still, trying to get back to sleep. After lying awake in the darkness for a while, he slipped from his bed and crept into the hallway, careful not to wake anyone.<p>

Figuring a glass of water would calm his unexplained uneasy nerves; Legolas began to head for the kitchens. He heard a gentle rustle and suddenly found another elf blocking his way.

"Is something wrong?" Elladan asked gently, eyes filled with concern.

"I can't sleep." Legolas admitted.

Elladan offered a small smile, "I can't either. I overheard something earlier, and it eats at my mind. But, where are you going?"

"For a drink and perhaps a walk," Legolas answered; then added, "Would you like to join me?"

"Aye, perhaps I can think this through," Elladan cast another glance into his room; then nodded and whispered, "Come."

Elladan led him swiftly through the halls to a small, open garden. The older twin didn't slow his pace until he had led Legolas into a small clearing surrounded by trees.

"It is beautiful here," Legolas commented lightly.

"Aye, often do I come here when I need to think." Elladan said, lying down on the grass, "Even Elrohir knows not of this place."

Legolas looked at Elladan, "Yet you share it with me?"

"You looked like you needed to think." Elladan said softly, "Something's bothering you, even if you don't admit it."

Legolas met the half-elf's gaze, "Yes, I suppose you're right." With that, the prince leaned back so he, too, was resting in the cool grass.

Elladan smiled and looked up at the stars, thinking about what he had overheard of the conversation between Erestor and his father, "Do you miss your Ada?"

Legolas seemed surprised at this, "I honestly don't know. I miss Mirkwood, but, at the same time, I wouldn't have seen him most of this time."

"Surely he misses you?" Elladan asked more than said, as he had never met the Elvenking.

"Perhaps," Legolas sighed, "Sometimes it seems I am nothing but a burden to him."

Elladan cast his friend a glance, "I don't think that is so."

Legolas smiled slightly. They spoke no more, but instead watched the stars and listened to the wind in the trees. Eventually, both of them dropped off to sleep.

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><p>Elrohir dashed into his father's room and jumped at the sleeping elf, "Ada! Ada, wake up!"<p>

Elrond scrambled upright, grabbing the young elf before realizing who it was and releasing him. The Lord of Imladris simply stared at his son for a moment.

"What's wrong?"

"Ada, Elladan's not in bed! I can't find him and I'm scared!"

This had Elrond on his feet, "He's missing?"

"Y-Yes," Elrohir murmured, fear in his eyes.

Elrond jumped up and ran to his sons' room. Sure enough, Elladan's bed was empty and the covers were tossed every which way. He hurried to Legolas's room, to find the bed also empty and the covers pushed aside.

"Legolas is gone too." He reported to his son.

Elrohir looked at his father with worried eyes, "Where could they have gone?"

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><p>Legolas woke to the warmth of the sun against his cheek. He blinked as the clear, beautiful light of day reached his blue eyes. He looked around him and felt the cool dew against his cheek and his hands. Elladan stirred beside him.<p>

"W-What time is it?" Elladan asked with a yawn.

"I have no idea," Legolas answered, sitting up and yawning.

Elladan sat up and stretched, studying the sun's position before exclaiming, "Valar, it's late! Ada is going to kill me!"

"How far from the hallway are we?" Legolas inquired.

"I don't know, about fifteen minutes."

"I didn't notice we walked that long last night." Legolas said, but all the same looked up at the trees, "Come on! I have an idea!"

"What?" Elladan looked at him.

Legolas clambered up a tree, "Come on! Moving through trees is easier than brush!"

Elladan looked nervous, "I'm not good in trees; I fall out of them a lot."

The prince gave a light laugh, "I'll teach you. Trust me, Elladan, its safe."

"I-If you say so," Elladan consented, scrambling up the tree.

Legolas helped him onto the branch and smiled, "The trick is to step lightly. It's not hard once you get the hang of it."

Elladan watched in silent awe as the Woodland prince swiftly leapt to the next tree and continued on until he was a good yard away. Then, he turned around lightly on the branch and smiled.

"Try it!"

Elladan slowly straightened and leapt to the first and second branch before losing his balance. Luckily, Legolas had returned and stopped him from falling.

"Put your weight on your toes, and step carefully." Legolas advised.

"Thank you." Elladan said softly.

The two started off again, slowly at first. But as Elladan slowly became surer of his step, they went faster. After about twelve minutes, they dropped to the ground at the front of the garden.

"Oh, Ada is going to be so angry!" Elladan exclaimed.

"You're quite right," A voice said, surprising them both.

"A-Ada!" Elladan whimpered, turning away, "I-I, I mean we-"

Legolas stepped in, "Lord Elrond, I couldn't sleep last night and decided to take a walk."

"And, I couldn't get to sleep either, and I heard Legolas in the hall, so we went for a walk in the garden."

"We accidentally fell asleep." Legolas finished.

"I am so sorry, Ada, I didn't mean to end up falling asleep outside."

Elrond sighed, "It's all right, Elladan, I was worried, is all. You really should leave a note next time."

"I will; I'm really sorry."

Elrond nodded, "Right then. The two of you better get dressed and eat. Glorfindel and I have something to tell you and Elrohir."

Legolas and Elladan exchanged interested glances before obediently running back through the halls.

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><p><strong>Review, please!<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or Lord of the Rings.**

**A/N: Wow, it's been a long time and I'm really sorry. I got caught up in last minute projects and graduation and then my life went a little insane (involving my father getting laser eye surgery, but he's okay now). But, I've started writing again. Last chapter was weird for me, but slowly this will come together. Last chapter also had NO Thranduil in it, and this one has mostly Thranduil because that was what was coming to me. Oh, and thanks to all my awesome reviewers! Enjoy the chapter and PLEASE review!**

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><p>Chapter 10<p>

Thranduil mounted his brown stallion with a quick flurry, his robes flowing behind him. Faeron mounted a white mare and nudged her to stand beside the king's mount. Thranduil looked at Arasinya with trust in his eyes.

"Take care of Mirkwood." He requested quietly to his advisor.

"I'll do all in my power to do just that, Milord." Arasinya promised with a sweeping bow.

"I know you will." He smiled, nodding to her.

"With any stroke of luck, we'll return quickly, and safely," Faeron spoke, "And with Prince Legolas."

"May this be true." Arasinya agreed, smiling, "Aa' menle nauva calen ar' ta hwesta e' ale'quenle (May thy paths be green and the breeze on thy back)!"

Thranduil nodded as Faeron thanked her swiftly, "Le hannon (Thank you)." Then he added, "Aa' menealle nauva calen ar' malta (May your ways be green and golden)."

With that, both king and advisor rode out of the clearing that harbored the caves of their people. Thranduil was bent on finding his son, and Faeron was determined to keep his lord alive. Arasinya watched them go until they were out of sight, with a sad smile. Something told her these next days would be harder than any others in her life thus far.

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><p>Elladan looked at his father curiously, raising an eyebrow. Elrohir was grinning, thrilled to be at last traveling to Lothlorien without their father, but Elladan was a bit more reluctant. Not to say he wasn't excited to travel; on the contrary, Elladan enjoyed travel quite a bit. But the elder twin had overheard bits and pieces of a conversation between his father and Erestor that had him thinking there could be a larger motive than just he and his brother getting to see their grandparents.<p>

Elladan, granted, hadn't overheard the entire conversation between his father and the dark-haired advisor. But he _had_ distinctly heard the name "Thranduil" and he knew that was Legolas's father. Elladan wanted little more than to know what exactly his father was up to with sending them all- Elladan, Elrohir, Legolas, and Glorfindel- to Lothlorien just now.

But, Elladan also knew that the only way to possibly find out now would be to come out and ask. That would get him into trouble for eavesdropping and more likely than not, he wouldn't ever actually be answered. And in addition, there was a chance he wouldn't be allowed to travel with his twin and new friend. So, he held his tongue and let only his excitement at being able to travel again shine through.

Legolas, on the other hand, clearly had no idea why he had been invited to come along as well. But, if the smile that was slowly spreading over his face was anything to go by, he was more than willing to tag along to the forests of Lothlorien. Elladan felt his heart leap in excitement at the thought of this trip.

Elrond was studying them all with an amused grin; he leaned over to Erestor and whispered, "Are you still sure this is a bad idea ?"

"I still have my bad feeling, if that's what you mean." Erestor answered softly.

"As do I." Elrond admitted quietly, "But I'm starting to think more and more it's just nerves."

"Of course it is." Erestor readily agreed, "There's nothing to be worried about, nothing at all. I mean, Glorfindel's going with them."

"Exactly," Elrond nodded with a smile, though he felt as though he were really just trying to convince himself.

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><p>Thranduil and Faeron thundered through the woods, bearing for the Old Ford, where they could cross the Anduin and then turn south to Lothlorien. Neither spoke, for speech was unnecessary for now; both knew where they rode for and with what urgency they went. Plus, it would've been difficult to talk while on running horses. Thus, both were left alone in their thoughts.<p>

Thranduil's mind lingered on his son and deceased wife. He missed his wife terribly and grieved hard, but in his grief, he had managed to lash out at his son and cause this whole problem. And then there was his son, little Legolas, who was gone without trace. Thranduil missed the child with all his heart; wanted little more than to find Legolas and explain to his son he never meant for this to happen and that he loved the boy more than anything.

Faeron's thoughts, however, were quite different. They lingered to Lady Arasinya, temporary ruler of Mirkwood. He had spoken to her before, but always briefly. She had always seemed like someone who was simply there and gave the occasional voice of reason and calm during heated situations. Now, he could tell she had leadership and wisdom, but didn't often show them. He had suddenly felt strange in her presence, shy and clumsy. He didn't need to search deeply within his mind and heart to recognize the feeling of love. Faeron's problem lay with the fact he didn't know how deep the attraction ran in his veins, or if it was returned. He hadn't the faintest idea if Thranduil had noticed this yet- and as he was busy with his son's disappearance, rightly of course- Faeron figured he wouldn't get much help from the Woodland King in this matter.

They came to the Old Ford, but, strangely and suddenly, Thranduil halted and dropped to the ground. Faeron too stopped, peering curiously at his long-time friend. Thranduil had wandered a few yards away from the bridge, not following any clear path, but wandering from the river to different places along the shore.

Faeron dismounted and walked over to the river, deciding he was in need of a drink. Cupping his hands, he took a long drink of the cool mountain water, then looked back to find Thranduil staring blankly, as though on verge of figuring something out, at him. Figuring he ought not to disrupt the king's train of thought, he removed his boots and dipped his feet in the river.

Faeron then turned to make sure Thranduil didn't try anything unintelligent. The Elvenking had seemed better these past few days- ever since deciding to find Legolas himself- but with Thranduil, one could never be too careful. But Thranduil showed no signs of any intentions of harming himself, though he did seem to be acting strange, as he was wandering back and forth.

The advisor didn't know what the significance of this spot was to his king, or why he chose to stop here. The sun was not yet setting, nor close to doing so. Suddenly, Thranduil dropped to his knees next to a bramble bush. Faeron, becoming truly worried about his friend and king's sanity, hurried over. Thranduil carefully was working something free.

Pulling his hand back, Thranduil opened it to examine the object. It was a small patch of green cloth, used in tunics. There were faint signs of white hair- that of a horse- on it. Thranduil went completely still, fingering the cloth tenderly.

"He came this way." The Elvenking muttered in surprise, then smiled slowly, "At least we know that much. If we can't find Legolas to the south, we can return to this point and go north."

"Perhaps west wouldn't be wasteful. Elrond's realm lies only just over the High Pass."

Thranduil nodded, "That would be worth checking after Lothlorien."

"Aye," Faeron agreed, "Come; let's travel a few miles more before sunset."

"I'd like to stay longer." Thranduil murmured, "And see if..."

"If you can find anything else," Faeron finished for him, "All right, we can both look."

Pulling his boots back on, Faeron examined the brush around the bramble bush that had harbored the small bit of evidence that Legolas had been here. After satisfying himself that there was nothing further in the area, he turned to find Thranduil kneeling not far from the riverbed, in a place where wild grass had sprung up freely. Thranduil was turning something over in his hands, which made Faeron leap to his feet and run over.

"What is it?" Faeron asked.

Thranduil offered it to him. It was a small piece of worn paper that looked as though it had been ripped or torn off of something larger. Faeron immediately recognized the type of paper: that used to make maps.

"Well, he was paying attention to where he was going." Faeron managed in a half-meant cheery tone.

Thranduil nodded, and a small, sad smile came over his face, "He got this far safely. I pray to the Valar it stayed that way."

Faeron just touched Thranduil's shoulder comfortingly, knowing there was little that he could say that would help the king. Thranduil slowly looked up at his advisor, meeting his friend's eyes before rising.

"I will find him." Thranduil whispered, with a confidence that had been lacking in him for some time.

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or Lord of the Rings, I never will.**

**A/N: ****Hey! It's been forever! I've been really lazy this summer, and I came back to this story today and went "Ah, shoot." So, I'm writing again! Amazing, right? It's a little shorter than normal, but I'm going to try to work really hard on these next few chapters to make them REALLY good. I'm not estimating how many chapters left yet, and I'll hopefully update sooner this time. But do me a favor and review; let me know you like it (it took reading through all my old reviews to inspire me to write this again) or dislike it. Whatever.**

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><p>Chapter 11<p>

Legolas paused in his packing. He knew he should be quick, as they- the twins, Glorfindel, and himself- were supposed to leave in an hour. But he had found the small portrait of him, his mother, and his father. Sitting down on the bed, he looked down at it. A sharp pang of homesickness washed over Legolas.

He hadn't realized, in the excitement of his new friends and a new place, how much he truly missed his father. Legolas wondered if Thranduil was looking for him; if his father was worried about whether or not he was safe. But he pushed these thoughts aside, rethinking their argument: the reason he left in the first place.

Gently, he tucked the portrait into his bag. He looked up to find Erestor in his doorway. Unsure of how long the Noldor elf had been present, Legolas offered a half-meant smile.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Legolas inquired.

"The picture," Erestor began, choosing to ignore the young Sinda's question, "Is it of your family?"

"Aye," Legolas confirmed, "My mother, father, and I."

"Do you miss your father, Legolas?" Erestor asked.

Legolas glanced down, "I suppose so."

Erestor didn't speak aloud. When Legolas glanced back up, the dark-haired advisor caught the other's eye. Erestor gave him a look that said "tell me the real story, not what you think I _want_ to hear."

"Yes," Legolas voiced after a moment, "I do miss him a little. I miss Mirkwood, and the trees, and the people."

Erestor nodded, "Do you figure you'll go back?"

"Sooner or later, I suppose I probably should." Legolas murmured.

Erestor met Legolas's eyes again and proceeded to slowly nod, "Very well."

"Why are you asking me these things?" Legolas inquired.

"I'm wondering when I should visit Mirkwood and beg your father for a job as your tutor." Erestor answered.

With that, he exited, leaving Legolas trying to figure out if he had been serious.

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><p>Thranduil pulled his stallion to a stop, less suddenly than he had at the Ford, "The Sîr Ninglor, can you see it?"<p>

"Aye," Faeron answered, looking down from their place on the top of a hill less than a league north of the river, "We should stop for the night, Thranduil; it's getting dark."

Thranduil sighed, sounding disappointed, but he knew his advisor was right. In the dark, one could miss a sign of someone veering away from the Anduin or run into Orcs or Goblins. Thranduil dismounted, looking around for a good place to camp for the night. Faeron landed beside his king, doing likewise.

"Over there," Faeron said, pointing down the hill a ways and to the right, "We won't be seen before someone comes over one of the hills, and we should be able to see whoever- or whatever- is there before they reach us."

Thranduil nodded in agreement, "That would be a good enough place to camp."

The two elves hurried down the slope, leading their horses after them. The sun was sinking lower into the red sky as they reached the spot Faeron had chosen, which was nestled among some rocks between two green and rather large hills. If one of them sat at the correct angle, he would be able to see the top of both hills and the way into the rocks. The other side of the rocks was extremely uneven and dangerous looking.

Thranduil immediately went to work on finding firewood as they walked. Faeron moved ahead, scouting around for anything that could present possible danger. Thranduil led his horse carefully through the rocks to a small clearing in them that had obviously been used previously for campsites. The Elvenking set down the firewood and set to work building a fire. Faeron led his steed in after Thranduil and looked around on foot.

"I can't see anything that would harm us." Faeron reported, "The worst we should have to worry about is a possible snake being drawn to the heat of our fire."

"Good," Thranduil said, forcing a smile, "And tomorrow we can ride hard for Lorien."

Unknown to both, they were indeed being watched, by a being much more dangerous than a simple snake. The rocks on the other side of them weren't as perilous as they thought, at least, not to those who had scaled them before. A set of eyes gleamed in reflection of the fire, watching the king and his escort.

The figure rose and hurried through the rocks silently and quickly, his thoughts dark. Another being waited at the edge of the rocks, crouched low to the ground, dressed in dark colors to hide himself. The first figure crept over to the second.

"Eriden, what have you found?" The second asked in a low voice.

"Two elves are camping just through the rocks." The first, Eriden, answered in a quiet, raspy voice, "They are heavily armed, and while they're together, taking them would be next to impossible. How can we separate them?"

"We don't need to do anything. They will enter the Gladden Marshes early tomorrow and there will be fog over the land. The marshes will separate them easily enough, and we shall capture whichever falls behind."

"Right." Eriden agreed, smirking evilly, "That's easy."

The other nodded solomly, not amused nor one to smirk in nearly any situation, "Watch them; make sure they don't turn around without us knowing about it."

"Of course," Eriden muttered darkly, walking back through the rocks and the two elves.

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or Lord of the Rings. If I did… why would I be writing this?**

**A/N: ****Hello again. Yes, an update. Yes, in a reasonable amount of time. No, I have nothing to do. Yes, I'm ignoring the math in front of me- erm… I mean… Yes, mother, I'm doing that _right now_!**

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><p>Chapter 12<p>

Elladan woke early, jumping out of bed and throwing on a tunic and leggings. He woke Elrohir and told him where he was planning to go. He then walked out of the room, down the hallway, and into the gardens. Elladan found Legolas sitting just outside on a bench, his eyes closed and breathing deep.

"Good morning!" Elladan greeted with a wide smile.

Legolas's eyes flashed open and the Sinda offered a grin, "Morning, Elladan. How are you?"

"I'm well." Elladan answered, "And you?"

"I'm feeling rather well." Legolas said, leaning back against the bench.

"Good." Elladan responded, then tilted his head, "Is there a reason you're out here?"

"Erestor gave me something to think about yesterday, that's all." Legolas answered, looking thoughtful.

"What?"

"He asked me if I missed my father." Legolas murmured, "And the more I think about it, the more I realize I actually do miss him a lot."

Elladan nodded, a sympathetic look on his face, "So, what are you going to do about it?"

Legolas shrugged, looking lost, "I want to go back, but…"

"But?" Elladan inquired, suddenly feeling worry rush forth.

"But I don't know if he would accept me back after what I did. I ran away, Elladan, without thinking about anything. If he got angry with me for sleeping outdoors a single night, what would he think now that I've traveled all the way over the Misty Mountains alone?" Legolas bowed his head, tears swimming in his blue eyes.

Elladan sat down beside Legolas and wrapped an arm around him, "I'm not an expert on your father, and I've never met him, but I think he would be happy to have you back."

Legolas sighed sorrowfully, "Maybe, or maybe he would be even angrier with me for running off."

"Or maybe he would be relieved to see you." Elladan pointed out.

Legolas looked up with the slightest hint of a smile, and a faint touch of hope, "You really think so?"

"I do." Elladan confirmed, smiling at the blond, "I don't think he would be too angry."

Legolas smiled slightly, eyes clouded in thought, "I think I will go back after we return from Lothlorien."

Elladan nodded absently, "You might not have to."

"What do you mean?" Legolas asked, head shooting up.

"Well, I'm not sure, but the other night, before we came out here, I overheard part of a conversation between my father and Erestor. They were talking about Lorien, but I distinctly heard "Thranduil" in the middle of one of their sentences. It made me wonder."

"Why would they be talking about Lothlorien and my father together? Unless they somehow figured my adar would be in Lorien. But that wouldn't make sense."

"Why not?" Elladan asked, "It would fit together."

"It would, but my father's not on much better terms with Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn than your father."

"Then why would they be talking about them together? Unless Ada told your father that we'd be in Lorien, but that- for whatever reason- doesn't sound like something Erestor would be talking to him late at night about. If my Ada had told your father where to find you, Erestor wouldn't take special notice."

"Would he drop hints?" Legolas inquired, "He asked if I was going to go back."

"Then they're up to something, and it's not based on fact. Erestor's strange occasionally; he wants to make sure he's working toward what he deems right, which means they're probably trying to get the two of you to meet up!"

"If it works, it saves me from having to travel over the mountains again." Legolas pointed out, "And if it doesn't, I'm no worse off than I am now."

Elladan nodded, "Exactly! Come on, we leave in an hour!"

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><p>Thranduil stayed very still; glancing this way and that. He had been sure he had felt someone watching him in the night, but the lack of light had prevented him from locating the thing. The horses too had stirred, as if disturbed suddenly by someone or something. He had taken his sword, which had still lain in its sheath, and very nearly drawn it when it occurred to him that such actions would be a direct challenge, and if whatever-it-was was behind him, he could be dead in seconds. So, Thranduil had moved closer to one of the rocks and stayed still.<p>

But even now that dawn's light spilled over the rocks; Thranduil could still not locate his observer. The whole matter was beginning to unsettle him greatly, as he could still occasionally feel someone's gaze on him. He felt as though he were the hunted prey, unaware exactly of what kind of predator laid in wait.

A few feet to the left of him, Faeron stirred slightly. The advisors eyes flashed into awareness and immediately saw his king, sitting with his back to a rock and looking nervous and worried. Concerned, Faeron sat up; Thranduil immediately crept over to him, motioning for him to speak quietly.

"What's wrong?" Faeron whispered.

"Someone, or something, has been watching us." Thranduil answered, continuing to look around.

"I thought I heard some rocks fall last night, as though someone where scrambling over them, but I listened for a long time after and I heard no more footsteps. I thought maybe I was just imagining things."

"I don't think you were." Thranduil muttered, then closed his eyes, "It feels like someone is hanging just out of my reach, as though they linger on the very edge of my being able to detect them."

"Whoever it is knows their way around these parts; I'm not sure I like that. It makes me feel as though we're being hunted."

Thranduil shuddered slightly, "That's not a pleasant thought. Do you really think that's what _it_ is doing?"

"I think it's a possibility." Faeron answered, looking on edge, "Perhaps we should leave."

Thranduil nodded eagerly, "I agree, this is starting to honestly worry me."

"I as well," Faeron agreed, standing and clipping his sword to his belt, "Let's be off as quickly as possible."

Thranduil nodded, getting to his feet and making sure his own sword was securely strapped to his belt before walking over to his stallion and beginning to lead the way through the rocks. Faeron finished packing up their belongings and then followed.

"Which is the fastest way to Lorien: through or around the Gladden Fields?"

Faeron considered it, "Well, we're currently on course of the Gladden Fields, we shouldn't have too much trouble getting through them, and it won't slow us as long as we're careful. If we go around, it could waste time."

"Right, so through them, I suppose." Thranduil said, mounting.

"Be careful," Faeron warned, "Marshes are deadly."

"I know," Thranduil reminded his friend dryly.

Unknown to both of them, they had not escaped danger by leaving their campsite. In fact, they had left a very defendable place in the rocks behind for the great dangers and thick fog of the marshes. Eriden smirked, moving silently through the rocks before holding up a signal to the others, who began to move through the boulders. These elves thought they could escape through the swamps. Oh, how wrong they were.

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><p><strong>Yes, I did do another cliff-hanger. Why? I'm bored. But anyway... please review! Please? *gives best puppy eyes* <strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or Lord of the Rings. If I did… why would I be writing this?**

**A/N: No, I'm not dead! Amazing, huh? ****Um… yeah, I just finished this. I'm really sorry. I have no excuse, really. I've been lazy, and that's really all there is too it. I'm going to try to stick with the story, really I am. On another, unrelated note, I uploaded another story (a one-shot) today, as a peace offering for this chapter being so very, VERY late. So, check that out if you want to. And PLEASE take the time to review! Enjoy!**

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><p>Chapter 13<p>

Silverwish kept easy pace with Asfaloth and the twin's mounts as they trotted over the fields, as happy and carefree as ever. Legolas's mind too was at peace with his descision to return to his father as soon as this venture was over. In a way, to be traveling again raised Legolas's spirits, knowing he could see his father very soon.

Elrohir was chatting away about what they could do in Lothlorien, and while occasionally Elladan would comment on something, the elder twin's mind was clearly on other things. Glorfindel was rather silent, and had been for some time. Legolas didn't feel much like speaking either, so they all listened to Elrohir as he spoke happily, oblivious, or acting so, to their odd silence.

After some time, they decided to stop for lunch. They dismounted and sat under a grove of trees that provided shade, eating fruits and lembas that had been provided by the cooks of Imladris. The meal passed in an odd and nearly uncomfortable silence, broken only by quiet requests for more fruit. Legolas lost himself in thought of Mirkwood; of what he would say to his father when he first saw him.

Legolas still worried his father would be angry with him, but he felt he would be too glad to see Thranduil to care much. Already almost a dozen scenarios of meeting his father had run through Legolas's head. The prince was quite content to daydream about their reuniting for now.

After they finished lunch, Glorfindel got to his feet, "I'm going to scout ahead, not far, but far enough I'll know if we're in any immediate danger. We aren't protected out here, and a threat has been growing in my mind this day. Here, however, you should be rather safe."

Legolas nodded and agreed, "We can take refuge in the trees should we need to."

"The trees," Elrohir repeated, looking at said objects with a worried expression, telling Legolas that the younger twin didn't know how to hide in the trees.

"_It is definitely a Woodland trait then." _Legolas thought to himself in slight amusement, _"I should've figured, we live among trees, so we would know best how to use them to our advantage."_

"Aye," Elladan responded to his brother, a cheeky smile on his face, "The trees,"

Glorfindel chuckled lightly before mounting Asfaloth and riding south with speed. Just as the sun reached its peak, Legolas felt something jump inside him, without any warning. He closed his eyes, and suddenly felt hints of fear, adrenaline, and pain course through his mind. It had been a long time since he had experienced anything the way he was now.

The last time he felt this way was when his father was injured by Spiders in the woods. He had felt the same rush of emotions in the same way. Legolas was unaware for how long he tried to figure out what was happening; how long he tried to reawaken the bond that had once burned strong between father and son, but upon doing so, all he felt was the faintest touch of guilt, grief, and some other emotion Legolas couldn't place. It felt familiar, Legolas knew, so faintly familiar, like a dream, or a dream of a dream, but he couldn't place it.

He was suddenly aware of a hand on his shoulder and his eyes shot open. Glorfindel had apparently returned and was now crouched beside Legolas, eyes full of worry.

"Is something wrong?" Glorfindel inquired.

"I-I don't know," Legolas answered softly and truthfully.

Elladan walked over and stood above Legolas, frowning at Legolas's answer and saying stubbornly, "Something is clearly wrong, Legolas. What is it?"

"It isn't important; it doesn't have anything to do with us." Legolas answered, but a sudden wave of unease washed over him, and he added inwardly, _"Or, at least, I don't _think_ it does."_

All Legolas knew was that something was wrong with his father, and quite possibly something was wrong with their- Legolas, Elladan, Elrohir, and Glorfindel's- journey as well. Legolas had never been one to ignore unease, and vowed silently to watch his back carefully.

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><p>As they rode into the marshes, Faeron called back to the king, "Stay close."<p>

"I know." Thranduil responded, trying hard to sound calm, or even slightly annoyed: anything to hide how he truly felt. He still had the aggravating feeling that something was wrong, very wrong. Thranduil didn't want to bother his friend with a mere feeling, however.

Thranduil's thoughts began to wander, they wandered to Legolas again. Thranduil felt his heart beat faster at the thought of finding his son safe again. The king got lost in his thoughts for a few moments; when he looked up, a thick fog had settled over the marshland, and Thranduil couldn't see Faeron.

"Mellon nin?" Thranduil called, praying for an answer.

He got one, but it was one he would've rather not received. Several men were suddenly everywhere, an arrow piercing the king's horse. The dead animal fell, and Thranduil barely leapt off its back in time to avoid becoming stuck under the full weight of the dead animal. Horror flashed through his mind at the sight of his dead companion, but now was not the time to dwell on such things. The elf drew his sword, raising it into a defensive position, his heart racing in terror.

They didn't ever give him a fair chance, instead, all five men rushed at once, and somewhere in the chaos, his sword was knocked away by one of the other weapons. He found a blade held to his throat and a man on either side of him, each holding one of his arms, effectively keeping him still. Thranduil, knowing there was little chance of escaped, felt the anger rise in his chest. Desperation flashed through him.

Letting authority fill his voice, he demanded loudly, "Release me now!"

One of the men, who Thranduil took to be the leader, scoffed walking forward, surveying Thranduil with slight interest, "We are not under your control, _Elvenking_. Try to keep in mind that you are the prisoner here."

Thranduil tried to struggle free, but the blade only came closer to his neck. Thranduil closed his eyes, wondering if it wouldn't be better to die now by this man's blade before responding coldly, "You won't get away with this."

"My dear Elvenking, I already have." The leader sneered, a touch of madness in his eyes that made Thranduil's heart beat faster in horror. A madman was an even more dangerous captor than a sane or even vengeful captor. The man looked around at his companions, "Let's move, if we go quickly, we'll be back tomorrow night!"

The men seemed inspired by this and Thranduil felt his hands being bound with rope. It wasn't elvish rope, and thus wasn't as strong, but the men tied it tight enough around his wrists that the strength of the rope itself was of little matter.

Thranduil felt suddenly as though a heavy weight had been dropped back on his shoulders. At that moment, he was in despair, total despair. His world crashed down; became filled with pure grief as his hope of ever seeing his only son slipped away.

Meanwhile, Faeron had realized the king was no longer following. Turning around, the advisor rode swiftly, hoping to find his lord. At some point, Faeron found a dark lump on the ground and dismounted. Crouching, Faeron recognized the body as that of the King's horse. Fear shooting through him, Faeron scouted the surrounding area and didn't find Thranduil's body, but he did find a large number of tracks.

Faeron swung up on his horse, and followed the clear tracks out of the marsh. Once out of the wetlands, they had turned east, toward the Misty Mountains. Even now, Faeron's keen elf eyes could see a group of men that were most likely responsible for this. Faeron frowned, looking at the party, silently debating about what to do.

He could ride fast to Lorien, and plead help from the Lady Galadriel. But then, he told himself, he could lose the trail. Or, on the other hand, he could ride after these men, which, as he reminded himself, was somewhat foolhardy, as he was but one. But still, his sense of duty to his old friend overcame him and in moments, his stallion was racing east, intent on freeing his king.

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><p><strong>Please review! Please? *gives best puppy eyes*<strong>


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